Center for positive aging in lower merion

The Center for Positive Aging in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania also known as The PALM, was founded in 1974-1975 as a community center serving the active aging (50 years and older) living in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Delaware County, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania and specifically focused on residents of Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania and Narberth, Pennsylvania. The Palm reaches over 1,100 adults annually with its programs and services, retains a membership base of 500 members (paying voluntary membership fees), and responds to 600 daily referrals and walk-ins.
History
The Center for Positive Aging in Lower Merion was formulated in November 1974 by Family Services of Montgomery County, through a study made by one of its outreach workers who sensed a need for developing an organization to help the older residents of South Ardmore, Pennsylvania to realize their fullest potential. These residents were primarily minority members, of diverse middle-lower socio-economic levels.
Fifteen persons worked on the idea and became the first Board of Directors for the project, they visited other senior citizens’ centers and familiarized themselves with programming possibilities. On September 29, 1975, the Board hosted a formal community kickoff for the Center and housing was provided by the James A. Bell Masonic Order with the current location at 117 Ardmore Avenue in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Through the Montgomery Council Office of Older Adults the Center received funding allowing it to increase its schedule from once a week, to three days a week, and now ultimately to five days a week (since January 1980)
Mission
The mission of the Center for Positive Aging in Lower Merion (The PALM) is to assist adults, 50 years of age and older, to maintain a healthy, satisfying quality of life by providing services and activities in a nurturing environment that enables them to function more independently in the community. The Center is an advocate for unmet needs of older adults and a repository of information to assure them their rights, benefits and opportunities. The PALM is a gathering place where aging is celebrated every day.
Programs and Services
The PALM is a neighborhood resource and gathering place that advocates for the benefits of seniors and helps them stay connected socially while living safely at home, as such, to fulfill this purpose, it provides a wide range of programs and services. The Palm provides Congregate Meals, Personal Enrichment Programs & Group Classes, Excusion Trips/Travels, Language Arts Classes, Fitness/Exercise Classes and Health Workshops, Art & Creative Crafts Classes and is a place for daily Resources/Referrals receiving almost 600 telephone calls a day, and many walkins.
The Center for Positive Aging in Lower Merion provides programs and services to both men and women, a diversity of ethnicities (African American, Caucasian, Latino, Hispanic, and multi) and nationalities (about 20) and welcomes active aging adults (50 years and older), and works with local youth constituencies from area churches, the Boys Scouts, and students from the Haverford School, Shipley School, Baldwin School, Agnes Irwin School, Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College, in support of its programs and services to the community to cross age boundaries.

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